Ichiro Suzuki Biography

October 22, 1973 • Kasugai, Japan

Baseball player

Ichiro Suzuki has millions of dedicated fans in his native Japan, with his
image appearing in daily newspapers and smiling from billboards, coffee
mugs, and T-shirts. There is even a museum dedicated to him. Known to his
adoring public simply as "Ichiro," Ichiro Suzuki is more
than just a baseball player; he is a national institution. Considered by
many to be the greatest hitter in Japanese baseball history, Ichiro
dominated the game in his homeland for nearly nine years until he was
snapped up in 2001 to play professional baseball for the American
League's Seattle Mariners. As a result, he became the first
Japanese position player (meaning a nonpitcher) to be signed by a U.S.
team. Since then the fleet-footed, left-handed outfielder has broken
dozens of records and has garnered an enormous American following. In
2004, Ichiro had his hottest streak ever, finishing the year by breaking a
record that had stood untouched for eighty-four years: scoring the most
hits in a single season. He is
called a "hitting machine" by sportswriters. This is no
exaggeration, since according to Leigh Montville of
Sports Illustrated,
"Any pitch, any time, any place, any situation—you throw
it, Ichiro will hit it."

First boy makes good

Ichiro Suzuki was born on October 22, 1973, in Kasugai, Japan.
Ichiro's father, Nobuyuki, was determined that Ichiro, who he
thought had a natural talent for baseball, would play the sport, and play
it well. The elder Suzuki made it clear from the beginning that his son
was special. In fact, the name Ichiro means "first boy,"
even though he was actually the second boy born to the family. From the
time he was three years old, Ichiro was practicing in his backyard with a
tiny bat and ball, and by elementary school, Nobuyuki, who was a former
high school ballplayer himself, was putting his son through batting drills
for up to four hours per day.

In high school Ichiro already displayed a dedication to the game that he
would become known for as an adult. It was a tradition at Nagoya Electric
High School that freshman players were responsible for washing the
uniforms of the seniors, so to make sure he had plenty of time for
practice Ichiro would get up at 3:00 AM to do laundry. The young batter
also maintained a rigorous class schedule and excelled academically. By
his senior year Ichiro was a familiar face at Japan's National High
School Baseball Tournament, known as
Koshien.
Upon graduation from high school in 1991, he was drafted to play
professional ball for the Pacific League's BlueWave, a team owned
by the Japanese leasing company Orix.

During his first year with the BlueWave, Ichiro devoted himself to
perfecting his game. As S. L. Price of
Sports Illustrated

"I'm unique. I'm a very rare kind of
player."

commented, "He spent most of his free time in the batting cage,
with teammates coming and going from breakfast, lunch, nap, dinner to the
endless tattoo of his bat on ball." Ichiro also developed a very
unique batting stance that included lifting his right leg and swinging it
back and forth like a pendulum. His hours of practice proved to be worth
it; Ichiro quickly became known as a slasher at the plate, hitting line
drives to the corners of every ballpark in every game.

During his seven full seasons playing for the BlueWave, the left-handed
hitter racked up an impressive record: Each season he hit between .342 and
.387 and averaged twenty-nine doubles, seventeen home runs, and
twenty-eight stolen bases. He also earned seven batting titles and set a
national record for getting to first base in fifty-seven consecutive
games. Ichiro was named Most Valuable Player three times, and in 1998 he
was key to leading the BlueWave to their first Pacific League pennant.

National icon

Ichiro's prowess in the batting box quickly helped make him the
most well-known and celebrated person in Japan, but it was his style that
catapulted him to mythic proportions. With a lean, teenager-like physique,
spiky hair, and a penchant for wearing sunglasses and his baseball cap
backwards, the five-foot-nine Ichiro was not the typical, conservative
Japanese player. He especially appealed to younger fans, who viewed him as
something of a rock star. Ichiro soon became a one-man industry, with his
own line of sports apparel, including colorful Nike Air Max sneakers that
were snatched up by the millions.

Another suggested reason for Ichiro's popularity was his notoriety
for being tight-lipped in interviews. "He is a man of few words, so
he doesn't talk so much," noted Michael Knisley of
Sporting News.
"And the more mysterious he acts, the more mystique he
has." According to Jeff Pearlman of
Sports Illustrated,
the reason for Ichiro's reserve was more practical: If he thinks
he has not contributed to a game he feels there is simply nothing to say.
The fashionably dressed hitter may have been aloof with the press, but he
obviously enjoyed playing to, and sometimes with, the crowd. In fact,
during game lulls Ichiro was known to play catch with fans sitting in the
right-field stands.

Ichiro reached the pinnacle of fame when, in 2000, his father built a
four-story museum in Nagoya, Japan, dedicated solely to his celebrated
son. Nearly three thousand articles are on display chronicling the life
and times of Ichiro, which is amazing considering he was only twenty-four
when the museum opened. Items include his childhood Nintendo game
cartridges, baseball jerseys, report cards, nearly one hundred scrapbooks
containing news clippings—and even Ichiro's dental retainer.
According to the museum manager, who spoke with Jim Caple of
ESPN.com,
"When Ichiro was a child his father told Ichiro's mother,
'He is going to be a great athlete. We must keep
everything."'

Ichiro conquers America

Although he was a star in Japan, Ichiro had been setting his sights on
American baseball since the spring of 1999, when he spent two weeks in
spring training with the Seattle Mariners. In 2000 he announced to Orix
that once his full nine years playing pro ball in Japan was up, which it
would be in 2001, he was going to consider offers from other teams,
including those from the United States. Aware that Ichiro's
departure was unavoidable, and faced with business losses, Orix decided to
"post" Ichiro, meaning they put Ichiro on the auction block.
The Mariners beat out other hopeful franchises, and on November 9, 2000,
offered Orix more than $13 million for a thirty-day window to negotiate
with Ichiro. On November 18, the powerhouse hitter signed a three-year
deal with Seattle worth a reported $15-$20 million. He became the first
Japanese position player to sign with a U.S. baseball team.

Ichiro may have been eager to play American ball, but he claimed the
decision to leave Japan was a hard one. "Inever said it was easy
for me," he revealed to John Rawlings of
Sporting News.
"But it wasn't interesting anymore. People have twisted
that very often. As the better pitchers left my league, it wasn't
fun." Ichiro also claimed to be both hesitant and excited about his
move. As he told Michael Farber of
Sports Illustrated,
"Sometimes I am nervous, sometimes anxious, but Iwant to challenge
a new world." Ichiro began to adapt to his new life by asking in
his contract for English lessons for himself and his wife,
Japanese television personality Yumiko Fukushima. He also made it clear
that, just as he had in Japan, he wanted to be recognized by his first
name only. In May 2001 Ichiro became the first and only U.S. player to
wear a baseball jersey bearing only a first name.

The Mariners did not regret opening their purse for their Japanese import.
By the end of his first season Ichiro was known, according to Rick Reilly,
as "the fastest man in baseball with the best outfield arm playing
for the winningest team." He posted a .357 batting average, with
fifty-six stolen bases, leading the major leagues in both categories.
Ichiro also became only the second player to be voted American League
Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season. Over the
next three years the Japanese slugger continued to be the most successful
and consistent leadoff hitter in U.S. baseball. "Idon't
think you can pitch him one way," New York Yankees's manager
Joe Torre commented to Jeff Pearlman. "You can go in and out, up
and down and he makes the adjustment. You can get ahead of the count, and
Ichiro still seems relaxed. He doesn't seem to have any
weaknesses."

Ichiro's clear focus and intense concentration contributed to such
comments, and his many rituals clearly intrigued American fans and members
of the press. Sportswriters reported on his exercise regimen, which
included a constant stretching and rolling of shoulders when he is in the
outfield between pitches; a massage before each game; and methodically
rubbing his feet with a wooden stick in the locker room. According to
Ichiro, and according to Eastern medicine, healthy feet are key to a
healthy body. A wooden stick helps massage certain points on the foot that
supposedly improve such things as flexibility and circulation.

Ichiro also believes that mental preparation is equally important to
physical preparation. Before each game he watches a tape of his opposing
pitchers, and after each game he spends time by himself with only his
handcrafted glove for company. Ichiro carefully wipes away any dirt from
the glove, rubs in a protective cream, and checks all the lacings. As he
explained to Brad Lefton of
Sporting News,
"The glove is directly connected to
the game. There's a special meaning in reflecting back on your
day's work while paying homage to a piece of equipment that helped
you. So while Icare for my glove, Ialso reflect back on my mistakes and
try to identify the causes."

Sizzles Sisler's record

Mistakes did not come often for Ichiro, although he did experience a bit
of a slump in 2003, when he finished the year with a disappointing-for-him
.257 average. A refreshed Ichiro, however, was back in action in 2004, and
as the season progressed he broke record after record. Nicknamed Wizard by
his

Out of the Shadows: George Sisler

When Ichiro Suzuki hit his way into sports history he also put the
spotlight on another player who had almost been forgotten in the
shadows: George Sisler. Sisler is considered by many to be one of the
greatest first basemen of all time and perhaps the most legendary player
in the history of the St. Louis Browns. He had a fifteen-year batting
average of .340; he was a swift base runner; and he was known for his
acrobatic fielding. But Sisler was also a quiet and modest man whose
reputation was eclipsed by some of his more charismatic contemporaries
such as Ty Cobb (1886–1961) and Babe Ruth (1895–1948).

George Harold Sisler was born on March 24, 1893, in Manchester, Ohio,
but spent his early years in Nimisila, a tiny coal-mining town just
south of Akron. From early on, baseball was his life. When he was
fourteen Sisler moved to Akron in order to pitch for Akron Central High
School. While still in high school he signed a contract to play
professional ball, which would take effect as soon as he graduated.
Sisler's father, however, urged him to pursue his education
first, so in 1910 he enrolled at the University of Michigan (U of M) in
Ann Arbor. During his years at U of M Sisler emerged as one of the top
college ballplayers in the country, and although he graduated in 1915
with a degree in mechanical engineering he decided to turn pro, signing
with the American League's St. Louis Browns.

Sisler began his career as a pitcher, but because he was too good with a
bat to be limited to hitting once every four days, he soon took over at
first base. From 1915 until 1922 Sisler maintained a .374 batting
average, reaching .407 in 1920 and peaking at .420 in 1922, a record
that no one has since approached. "Gorgeous George," as he
was known to his fans, continued to rack up record after record, and in
1920 he was at the pinnacle of his career, reaching the single-season
record of 257 hits that remained untouched until 2004. Sisler also
achieved career bests of 19 home runs, 18 triples, 49 doubles, 122 runs
batted in, and 137 runs scored. According to sports historian Bill
James, who spoke with Dave Kindred of
Sporting News,
in 1920 Sisler was "about as great of a player as you can
be."

Unfortunately the baseball legend's career was cut short in 1923
after he suffered a bout of sinusitis (a severe sinus infection), which
caused double vision for a time and forced him to sit out the entire
season. Sisler continued to play for the Browns until 1928, when he was
traded to the Washington Senators. After appearing in only twenty games
Washington turned his contract over to the Boston Braves, who kept
Sisler on the roster until 1930. Although he performed admirably, Sisler
never quite achieved his former glory, and he considered 1923 to be his
last true year in baseball. After playing briefly in the minor leagues
for two years Sisler retired in 1932. He left professional baseball for
the next ten years, but returned to the major leagues in 1943 to scout
for the Brooklyn Dodgers. From 1951 through 1965 Sisler served as a
scout and hitting instructor for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He died on
March 26, 1973, at the age of eighty.

Two of Sisler's sons, Dick and Dave, played major league ball in
the 1950s, and a third son, George Jr., served as an executive in the
minor leagues. Five members of the Sisler family were on hand when
Ichiro Suzuki broke Gorgeous George's eighty-four-year-old
record. As Sisler's grandson, Bo Drochelman, told Bob Sherwin of
the
Seattle Times,
"My grandfather really respected the game of baseball. He
cherished it and played every minute to the hilt.

George Sisler.

AP/Wide World Photos.

That's the part of Ichiro I think he would have loved, a man
dedicated to the game. That would have made him proud, that kind of
person breaking his record."

teammates he proved he had magic in his feet, his glove, and especially
his bat. Ichiro became one of only eleven players to have four consecutive
200-hit seasons, and as the playoffs drew closer speculations were flying
that he would beat the single-season hitting record of 257 set in 1920 by
George Sisler (1893–1973) of the St. Louis Browns.

On October 1, 2004, before a sold-out crowd, Ichiro tied the record during
the first inning of the Mariners-Texas Rangers game. During the third
inning he rocketed a line drive to left field and secured his place in
baseball history. The stands erupted; fireworks soared over the ballpark;
and teammates and fans gave Ichiro a two-minute standing ovation as he

Ichiro Suzuki scrambles back to first base during the fourth
inning of the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

AP/Wide World Photos.

stood, beaming, on first base. "It's definitely the most
emotional I have gotten in my life," the usually calm and collected
Ichiro admitted to Bob Sherwin of the
Seattle Times
after the game. "It's definitely the highlight of my
career, and I was thinking 'Is there something better in my
future?"'

Considering he was only thirty years old when he broke Sisler's
record, many predicted that there was much more ahead in Ichiro's
future. By mid-2005 he had already broken at least two more batting
records: On June 14 he became only the third major league player in
history to hit one thousand runs in less than seven hundred games; and on
July 30 Ichiro reached his 1,058th hit, the most any player has achieved
in their first five-seasons of play. Don Baylor, the hitting coach for the
Mariners, forecast that his star right-fielder would possibly break an
unprecedented .400 batting average by season's end if he started
the year at .350; as of July 2005 Ichiro was batting .385. The modest
Mariner, as usual, was cautious when speaking to the press about the hype.
As he told Phil Rogers of
ChicagoSports.com,
"Idon't
know if I'll ever do it. I just want to be a player people say has
a chance." For a man who S. L. Price claims has become an
"an omnipresent cultural icon," that is definitely an
understatement.

Lefton, Brad. "In Focus: Mariners Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki's
Mental Preparation Is as Big a Part of His Game as His Blazing Speed and
Powerful Throwing Arm."
The Sporting News
(March 10, 2003): pp. 10–14.

User Contributions:

I had the opportunity to see Ichiro in action with the Mariners at Safeco Field. My son is an architect who worked for NBBJ an architectural firm who designed Safeco Field. What really impressed me was Ichiro's throwing arm. He could rifle a throw from deep right field which the catcher had to leap up to catch. His speed on the base paths was also remarkable. The Mariners had Ichiro, A. Rodriguez, Randy Johnson and "Junior" on the team. There was also another Japanese player whose name escapes me but who was over 6 feet tall. He would bow to the crowd after he saved a game as a relief pitcher. The crowd became used to this gesture and would stand up in response. Now Ichiro is playing for the Yankees and he still hits consistently. In reading his biography, I understand that his father devoted his life to training Ichiro to becoming a baseball player.

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: